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Involvement of ammonium metabolism in the nitrate inhibition of nitrogen fixation in Anabaena sp. strain ATCC 33047

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Abstract

In the filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain ATCC 33047 dinitrogen fixation and nitrate reduction are mutually exclusive processes. Nitrate promotes nitrate reductase synthesis and represses nitrogenase formation. Inhibition of ammonium assimilation by l-methionine-d,l-sulfoximine (MSX) alleviates the repressive effect of nitrate on nitrogenase synthesis, thus indicating that the nitrate effect is indirect through metabolites generated from the ammonium derived from nitrate reduction. In MSX-treated cells both nitrate reduction and dinitrogen fixation take place simultaneously, although at different sites of the filament, without any apparent competition for the required reducing power. The MSX-treated Anabaena cells generate ammonium from both nitrate and dinitrogen, simultaneously.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

DCMU:

N′-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)N,N-dimethylurea)

Hepes:

N-2-hydroxyethyl-piperazine-N′-2-ethane sulphonic acid

MSX:

l-methionine-d,l-sulfoximine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Biologia y C.S.I.C., Aptdo. 1095, Sevilla, Spain

    Juan L. Ramos & Miguel G. Guerrero

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  1. Juan L. Ramos
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  2. Miguel G. Guerrero
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Ramos, J.L., Guerrero, M.G. Involvement of ammonium metabolism in the nitrate inhibition of nitrogen fixation in Anabaena sp. strain ATCC 33047. Arch. Microbiol. 136, 81–83 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404777

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404777

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